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Trustees, Friends, & Foundations |
July 2025 |  |
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Welcome to the Trustees, Friends, & Foundations Newsletter!
A monthly update on items relevant to those
who work as or with Library Trustees, Friends, and Foundations.
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| June 27, 2025
"The American Library Association (ALA) applauded the Supreme Court 6-3 decision to uphold the Universal Service Fund (USF). The system of telecommunications subsidies administered by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) includes the E-Rate program, which provides libraries and schools billions of dollars each year for broadband access and connectivity. More than half of all public libraries apply for funding to subsidize the cost of internet connectivity through E-Rate each year.
ALA President Cindy Hohl said, 'ALA applauds the Supreme Court's decision to uphold the USF and thus preserve the E-Rate program, which is a lifeline for public libraries and millions of Americans, especially in rural and underserved communities...'" |
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| July 14, 2025
"Turns out, the Arlington Public Library is good for more than just late fees and book holds, it’s also a killer wedding venue.
Over the weekend, Fairfax couple Katie Lettie and Vincent Bauer exchanged vows inside the library after winning a contest for a free, all-inclusive wedding. And no, this wasn't a private affair as hundreds of community members showed up to watch love take center stage between the stacks.
Katie made her entrance down the main staircase while Vincent waited at the reference desk, grinning from ear to ear. Instead of quiet whispers, the room filled with applause, cheers and a few sniffles.
Forget fairytales, this real-life romance was written in hardback. From literary backdrops to a crowd of unexpected guests, this wedding was anything but by the book..." |
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Sign Up with the Virginia Library Association as an Advocate! |
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Click HERE and sign up for the VLA Advocacy Center Mailing List to make sure you're receiving Virginia action alerts and updates on policy issues related to the library field. This will help you keep abreast of legislation that could affect your local library and community.
| | Federal Funding & Virginia Libraries
(Status - Same as June)
Some good news regarding the federal funding as it applies to Virginia public libraries and Executive Order 14238 in the reduction of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).
All states which receive an annual allotment from the IMLS Grants to States program have now been awarded a full allotment for next fiscal year. What this means is that Virginia LSTA funding, which is about $4.3M per year, will continue through September 30, 2026. There are no anticipated changes in funding for at least the next 15+ months. This is largely due to the preliminary injunction in Rhode Island v. Trump that prohibits the continued dismantling of IMLS until that case is resolved.
This means that things that impact your public libraries like the Find It Virginia databases, library consulting, Niche Academy, and other resources will remain in place for this same time period. The Library of Virginia will continue to move forward on the various projects funded by LSTA.
However, funding beyond the above date is still unknown. The current federal budget that's making it's way through the process only includes enough funding to "closeout" IMLS as an agency. This budget was passed by the House and is currently under consideration by the Senate. As of the publication of this newsletter, no further news is known. You can tell Congress to invest in libraries via this tool -- Fund Libraries.
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UNITED FOR LIBRARIES RESOURCES |
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Virginia library staff and stakeholders (folks like
you!) have access to a whole host of resources from United for Libraries.
Click to get the CHEAT SHEET signed up and in.
| Already signed up? Click HERE to access everything through the ALA eLearning Platform! |
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*On Hiatus for August due to United for Libraries Virtual 2025*
Practical Policy Management: A Guide for Trustees Tuesday, September 9, 2025 -- 2:00p-3:00p
Policy is essential to smooth library operations, and ensuring equality of access for all patrons, but is often seen as an obstacle to progress or a difficult task to be accomplished once and never seen again. This program is designed to educate both library trustees and directors of the statutory responsibility of library trustees in creating policy, as well as practical steps for creating, maintaining, and managing effective policy, including ensuring collaboration between director, staff, and board during the process. The program will also offer practical suggestions for policy creation, procedures for periodic policy evaluation, and ways to streamline the policy process. |
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Registration Now Open: July 29-31, 2025
This interactive three-day virtual event will feature expert speakers on current topics facing library Trustees, Friends, Foundations, and staff who work with them. - Participate in live Q&A sessions with presenters.
- Enjoy exclusive access to keynote speakers and authors.
- Receive a certificate of attendance (for live participation or on-demand viewing).
Free registration for Virginia library stakeholders
courtesy of the Library of Virginia! -- Click HERE to register |
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| Meetings that Matter: Seven Steps to Running an Effective Meeting |
The meeting started late and went over the scheduled time. Attendees were updated on events that had already occurred. Speakers talked too long and repeated themselves in unstructured presentations. Those on video tried to surreptitiously knock off some email while trying to appear fully present. No forward-facing decisions were made. If any of this sounds familiar, know that it does not have to be. Join best-selling Author, CEO, and Stanford faculty member David Dodson as he describes seven steps you can implement to create meetings that matter.
(Occurs: 7.23.25 - 2p) |
| Register Here
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Event Sponsors: How to Find Them & Create a Win-Win |
Join fundraising master trainer, Chad Barger, ACFRE, ACNP, for a workshop focused on maximizing sponsorship revenue for your programs and events (both in person and virtual). The session starts by focusing on identifying potential sponsors and beginning the partnership conversation. It closes with a focus on structuring win-win, long term sponsorship relationships.
(Occurs: 7.29.25 - 1p) |
| Register Here
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| Reserves -- What, Why, When, and How (Much?) |
Having a cash reserve fund is a goal for every nonprofit organization as a buffer for unexpected disruptions, emergencies, or delays in revenue. But there’s much more to consider, especially at a time when nonprofits need more flexibility than ever before. Whether you find yourself with more funds in the bank than expected or holding your breath until the next payroll, understanding and planning reserve funds is timely. In this webinar, we’ll dig into why reserves are valuable and for what purpose, the perennial question of how much, and some practical tools for managing and communicating.
(Occurs: 7.30.25 - 1p) |
| Register Here
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Trustee, Friends, and Foundation members have access to the Library of Virginia's Niche Academy, a place for online learning.
Please note, if you register with a non-library issued e-mail address, someone from the Library of Virginia will follow up with you to confirm that you are affiliated with a Virginia library before you can access the content. |
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Click on the image to learn more about each title, and then use your local library to request them from the Library of Virginia.
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"I want to thank all librarians because you are the pillars of our democracy. Democracy is dependent on an informed public, and you are the keepers of that information and guides to that information."
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- Author George Takei, American Library Association Conference, June 28, 2025
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This newsletter is brought to you by the Library Development division of the Library of Virginia. Funding for this is provided through the Virginia General Assembly and the Institute for Museum and Library Studies (IMLS).
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